Month: August 2026

Culture on My Mind – True North Broadcasting: Canadian Sci-Fi

Michael FalknerLeave a comment
Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
True North Broadcasting: Canadian Sci-Fi
August 13, 2026

To celebrate Canada Day (and get the contractually obligated amount of Canadian content in the American sci-fi classics discussion), the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track cast its eyes northward. It so happens that Canada is more than just alien planets and attractive tax incentives for your favorite shows. It also has unique and cool shows worthy of discussion.

On July 1st, Gary Mitchel was joined by Deanna Toxopeus and Lola Lariscy to talk Hilarious House of Frankenstein, Odyssey 5, Sanctuary, Lost Girl, Starlost, Rocket Robin Hood, and more. Grab a pint of maple syrup and tune in, eh?

These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are hosted by Gary Mitchel and Joe Crowe, the diabolical masterminds behind the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track. If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on her website Subspace Sue.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Do Not Taunt the SNL Table Read

Michael FalknerLeave a comment
Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Do Not Taunt the SNL Table Read
August 10, 2026

We all know about Saturday Night Live. For the last 50 years, that show has remained one of the gold standards of sketch comedy, showcasing talent and spawning careers along the way. The Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track has a tradition of paying tribute through table reads of favorite sketches from the show’s history.

On June 17th, Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel were joined by ToniAnn Marini, O. Hai Mark, and Kevin Stallard to laugh about classics like Coffee Talk, Weekend Update, and Matt Foley’s van.

These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are hosted by Gary Mitchel and Joe Crowe, the diabolical masterminds behind the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track. If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on her website Subspace Sue.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – No Disassemble! 40 Years of Short Circuit

Michael FalknerLeave a comment
Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
No Disassemble! 40 Years of Short Circuit
August 6, 2026

In 1986, the world was introduced to Johnny 5. The Short Circuit films focus on an experimental military robot that is struck by lightning and gains sentience. There were two films, the first of which is arguably better and centers its story on discussions of life, intelligence, and warfare.

The films also have an unfortunate legacy of inadvertent racism, which I wrote about in 2020.

These films still remain favorites from my childhood, even though they aren’t the greatest things committed to celluloid. I may need to revisit them again for this site in the future.

On June 3rd, Joe Crowe, Gary Mitchel, Shaun Rosado, O. Hai Mark, and Kyle McCraw discussed these films and their legacy, including the ethics of robotic weaponry, the concept of AI souls, and the merits of El DeBarge.

These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are hosted by Gary Mitchel and Joe Crowe, the diabolical masterminds behind the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track. If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on her website Subspace Sue.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Made of Steel: A Supergirl Tribute

Michael FalknerLeave a comment
Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Made of Steel: A Supergirl Tribute
August 3, 2026

This time around, the folks at the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track are talking Supergirl. From the bottle city of Argo to her life, death, and rebirth, Kara Zor-El has quite the legacy in pop culture.

On May 13th, Joe Crowe, Gary Mitchel, Shaun Rosado, and Kevin Eldridge traced Kara’s journey in comics, radio, television, and the silver screen.

These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are hosted by Gary Mitchel and Joe Crowe, the diabolical masterminds behind the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track. If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on her website Subspace Sue.

cc-break

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.